Wind power plant with power conversion system

Abstract

A wind power plant for providing electrical power to a utility grid is provided, the wind power plant including: at least one wind turbine having a wind turbine generator coupled to a wind turbine rotation shaft to which plural rotor blades are mounted, the wind turbine providing electric power at an output terminal; at least one power conversion system, each including: a plant motor electrically coupled and configured to receive the electric power from the output terminal of the at least one wind turbine and convert it into rotational power of a plant motor shaft; a plant generator mechanically coupled to the plant motor shaft and electrically coupleable to the electric utility grid.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wind power plant for providing electrical power to a utility grid, the wind power plant comprising:
 at least one wind turbine having a wind turbine generator coupled to a wind turbine rotation shaft to which plural rotor blades are mounted, the wind turbine providing electric power at an output terminal; 
 at least one power conversion system, each comprising: 
 a plant motor electrically coupled and configured to receive the electric power from the output terminal of the at least one wind turbine and convert the received electric power into rotational power of a plant motor shaft; 
 a plant generator mechanically coupled to the plant motor shaft and electrically coupleable to the electric utility grid; 
 wherein the at least one of power conversion system further comprises: 
 a power conversion system controller being configured to control active power at a power conversion system output terminal based on at least one reference value related to the utility grid; 
 wherein the power conversion system controller comprises a plant motor controller communicatively coupled to the plant motor and a plant generator controller communicatively coupled the plant generator; and 
 wherein the plant motor controller is configured to receive a plant active power reference signal, to determine individual active power reference signals for the at least one wind turbine and/or at least one power generating component based on the plant active power reference signal and supply the individual active power reference signals to the at least one wind turbine and/or the at least one power generating component. 
 
     
     
       2. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant generator and/or the plant motor of at least one of the at least one power conversion system comprises a synchronous machine. 
     
     
       3. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of power conversion systems further comprising:
 a mechanical inertial mass, coupled or couplable to the respective plant motor shaft. 
 
     
     
       4. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein a value of inertia of the wind power plant amounts to between 2 sec and 5 sec. 
     
     
       5. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the power conversion system controller is further configured to control the active power at a power conversion system output terminal and/or at the utility grid and/or at a power conversion system input terminal based on at least one reference value and/or measurement values related to the utility grid and/or related to a plant grid. 
     
     
       6. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the power conversion system controller is further configured to control reactive power and/or voltage at a power conversion system output terminal and/or at the utility grid and/or at a power conversion system input terminal based on at least one reference value and/or measurement values related to the utility grid and/or related to a plant grid. 
     
     
       7. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , further comprising the at least one power generating component, wherein the at least one power generating component is different from a wind turbine and being connected such as to supply electrical power and/or mechanical power to the plant motor,
 wherein the at least one power generating component comprises:
 at least one photovoltaic cell; 
 at least one thermal energy storage; 
 at least one electric energy storage; 
 at least one steam turbine; and/or 
 at least one gas turbine; and/or 
 
 wherein the at least one power generating component enables black start of the wind power plant in case of insufficient wind. 
 
     
     
       8. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant motor controller is configured to control the plant grid voltage by controlling the plant motor to output a reference plant grid reactive power to the plant grid. 
     
     
       9. The wind power plant according to  claim 8 , wherein to control the plant grid voltage the plant motor controller utilizes an automatic voltage regulator that receives measurement values regarding plant grid voltage. 
     
     
       10. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant generator controller is configured to control the plant generator to output a reference utility grid reactive power to the utility grid;
 the plant generator controller utilizing an automatic voltage regulator that receives measurement values regarding utility grid voltage. 
 
     
     
       11. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , further comprising a load frequency controller configured:
 to receive measurement values of a utility grid frequency; 
 to determine a plant active power reference signal based on the utility grid frequency; and 
 to supply the plant active power reference signal to the plant motor controller. 
 
     
     
       12. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 ,
 at least one wind turbine further comprising:
 a wind turbine converter connected to the wind turbine generator for converting the generator power to a substantially fixed frequency power supplied to the wind turbine output terminal; and/or 
 
 the plant further comprising: 
 a plant transformer coupled to the output terminal of all of the at least one power conversion system, in order to transform a voltage provided to the electrical utility grid to a higher value. 
 
     
     
       13. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises exactly one power conversion system to which all wind turbines supply their output power. 
     
     
       14. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , wherein the plant comprises at least two power conversion systems whose output terminals are electrically connected to a bus bar which is electrically connected to the utility grid, via a plant transformer. 
     
     
       15. The wind power plant according to  claim 1 , further comprising a hydrogen plant.